Olympic marathon runner Guor Marial spoke to English Language Learning students at Concord High School, where he first ran track. He donated his Olympic bib number to the high school. Tuesday, September 11, 2012.
(Samantha Goresh/Monitor Staff)

We’re nearly a year removed from the 2012 Olympics, but runner Guor Marial is still a story.

The man who grew up in Concord was big news during the summer because he qualified for the Olympics but found himself without a representation. He was not yet an American citizen, and his native South Sudan had only just become a country and wasn’t yet recognized by the International Olympic Committee. He ended up running as an independent in the marathon event, finishing in 47th place.